In case you've just joined us...what I'm doing is..
I found a huge pile of my 7 inch singles in the side room laying dormant and seemingly unloved ( which is not the case really ) and I decided I wouldn't interfere with the order they had assembled themself into and pick up the pile and go thru them 10 at a time and record them and podcast them and post it on this blog. I have no idea which 10 singles are coming up next !! And I'm having a great time doing it....

Saturday, August 11, 2007

#48 & #49, a double

A double today, the second one an all Australian batch...as we are closing in quickly on the half century !!

To start with - #48

Firstly we have The Motivaters, a Sydney band on Result Records ( along with label-mates The Jukes and The Eighty-Eights ), then a b-side to the Weather Prophets "She Comes From The Rain" single, the a-side woefully overproduced and boring ( as a result of the band's move from Creation 'proper' ). at least the b was produced by Pete Astor 'imself and is worthy of a play today ( even with the jump/scratch ).

Then some Dexy's - don't worry I've never been able to figure what the blazes he's singing about either !! After which it's the Sunday Painters from Wollongong with a snide little dig at the music scene of the time, some Wonder Stuff and the Bambi Slam. I can't remember what label they were on and can't work it out due to the cover art using the most ridiculously flowery font combined with the most wretched colour scheme. If anyone knows what label it's on could you please let me know !

Jimmy Fontana then does an all Italian version of "Happy Together" and then Icehouse way back in THE day when they were called Flowers and we wrap up with the Haircutters and Mighty Mighty.

The details on the 2nd one for today below, but meantime grab this one here -

And all from roughly the same year, and I suspect they ended up in the pile in this order because way way way back in time I would have had the records in some logical order ( not so any more ) and I guess they've stayed in that order through the various house moves I've done over the years. A special mention here to "Geoff's Record Bar" in St Marys which is where I would have bought 9 of the 10 records ( except The Flying Calvittos ). I suspect I may be the first person in history to mention "Geoff's Record Bar" on the internet !!!!!!!!!

We also encounter a few representatives from the Parole label ( a Festival offshoot ) with The Elks ( from Perth featuring Terry Serio who went on to be better known as an actor in Australia ), and Street Level who I think may have really been a Sydney band ( forgotten - help anyone ?? ). We heard earlier from the Parole when the Perth band Boys cropped up on #40.

We also have a few Peter Dawkins productions, he of Dragon & Mi-Sex production fame ( just to name a few ) in the guise of MEO 245's 3rd single and Outline's first "major label" single ( after the infamous 'Cicadas...' that is ! ) and a few things about Cities makes me laugh, firstly the weird funky disco Born To Be Alive middle eight and the Mi-Sex keyboard patch. Also Cities is on CBS ( 'proper' ) and then the next single ( 'How Can I get Out' ) is on Powderworks...what gives ??

Speaking of Powerworks they also give us today The Breakers single, produced by Jimmy Manzie and while we're on 'producers' I can't go past mentioning David Tickle again, as he produced The Aliens single ( which I'd forgotten ) and I bet he doesn't normally mention this ( given he apparentely went from Wunderkind to Wanker after producing True Colours by all accounts) ( and as far as I can 'date it' this Aliens single was produced around the time of True Colours ).

I'd also love to make a c-c-c-connection between The Aliens singing C-c-c-confrontation and Vixen singing C-c-c-cover Up Job !! Only in that they both felt like s-s-s-stuttering during the c-c-c-chorus !! Vixen were a Sydney band and came out on the "Alternative" label ( another Festival offshoot ), the label which first released "Living China Doll" as heard way way back on podcast #1.

Finally I had a big struggle deciding which Flying Calvittos song to put on - torn between Mamma's Table and Lucky To Be Australian...the latter losing out in the end, although it will eventually show up on the flipsides blog of course. The Atla single was a Todd Hunter production ( aided by Spencer Lee ) and The Eyes single was their first, to be followed by 2 more and an album and then they disappered totally !! ( and released on yet another small Festival sub label "ATA" ).

I think you and I must be the only two people in the world who own a copy of "When I'm on T.V." Granted, I am probably the only yank in the world who owns it. What a classic. The flip, "Lipstick and Leather," ain't too shabby either.

I confess to not knowing a damn thing about The Breakers (always assumed Manzie was the band... unless "K. Fowley" also did something or other). Which reminds me, I really need to pick up a Chris Spencer guide one of these days.

Wow, I found you by chance looking for the Motivaters and here it is. Unbelievable. Like bazzil said, I haven't heard "After the Fall" since I had the single in 1980. THEN... I scroll down and see Outline "Cities" - same story, even rarer single. I used to see these bands, I can't believe I let go of the singles. They are IMPOSSIBLE to find now. You've inspired me now. Well done and thanks a million for the memories.

with The Breakers - hey wow, someone else has a copy...makes me laugh, did you get it in the States or how did you ever know about it/come across it ??

I guess Manzie was the main dude in the band, I can't remember either, however another guy in Perth contacted me too about this record and was doing an article on Jimmy Manzie, he asked for a copy of the A side and Lipstick & Leather, so I just heard that now...the funny thing was I must have played it in the old days because I found myself singing along !!

And sawbird with The Motivaters, glad you like it, it was a bit of a blast for me digging it up too and it holds up well I thought, and glad you remember Cities too !!

I'm laughing because this blog must have come up when you Googled The Motivaters !! I have other singles by them and not sure when they'll show up - Summer is one, also a Double A with The Jukes.

I got it from Australia. It was a mixed lot of things. Think it all set me back in the vicinity of $1 (USD) each. As I recall, Outline's "How Can I Get Out?" was in there, as well. That's their best track, IMO.

No Motivaters singles were in there, although I do have 2 of them. Not the one you posted. The other two! (Summer/Just Don't Care seems to be in storage at the moment, but I can see the pic sleeve in my head. It has zebra stripes all over it.) Haven't been able to find their album. I think there was also an EP?

great, thanks for that info on The Breakers, so all we need to figure is who the mysterious Mr Fowley is...

with The Motivaters yeah I have that Summer 7" and also a split ep with The Jukes and Motivaters having 2 tracks each, called "The Top Of The Class Ep" from memory, of course who knows where it is, but it'll show up one day for sure. I've also got that Outline single - on weird clear green vinyl and have good memories of it as well.

Oops, I just found the Motivaters' "Summer" single. It's not zebra stripes; it's a black circular swirl pattern. Prefer "Just Don't Care (About That)" over the A-side -- which is too bluesy/roots-rocky for my tastes. Also found 2 copies of the LP online. Ya want one?

Now, I think the real question is how did an Aussie get a Dangerous Birds single?! I don't even have that one! And I grew up in Boston! They were pretty big stuff there for about 2 seconds, despite having no great songs. (Thalia Zadek went on to bigger and better things.) If you like them, you can find "Alpha Romeo" on the Rhino CD, "D.I.Y.: Mass. Ave," and the vinyl-only track, "Emergency," on the Propeller 7" comp, "Laughing at the Ground."

Green vinyl now? Mine's boring old black with a green label. Powderworks gave Outline unique labels (something I haven't found on any other Powderworks releases) -- the track info on one side and a photo of the band on the other. The same format was used for "The Cicada (That Ate Five Dock)" and "Maybe It's a Game," except in different colors. "Maybe It's a Game" is purple/pink and "The Cicada" is orange. The "Maybe It's a Game" album has neat packaging, too -- with the fake Chutes and Ladders game on the back.

By the way, "Alpha Romeo" goes for about $25 (US) on eBay. The '79 Tactics single you posted just went for $50.

The Dangerous Birds single I would have gotten from one of the so called "import shops" that were big in Oz in the late 70's-late 90's,,,ie specialising "imports"....which was code for indie/smaller label records from OS, and in the case of Alpha Romeo they would have gotten only one copy in ( like many records ), probably from reading a NME or similar magazine and in those days I would have walked into the shop ( wherever it was, can't remember which one ) and the guy behind the counter would have either been holding that for me or would have recommended it - given i was probably in the shop every 2nd day and they knew what I was looking for.

Yeah Outline definitely a greeny-honey ( ??puke ? ) colour.

Yes I saw that Tactics single going for a high price and a few others like Wild West & Voigt 465...I would nevr sell mine in a zillion years !!